When Erin started college at the University of Notre Dame, she planned to major in business and theater. The summer after her sophomore year she volunteered at Hibiscus Children's Center in Florida through the Notre Dame alumni supported Summer Service Program. Hibiscus was an emergency and short term shelter or placement for children, infants to twelve years of age. In the midst of the calm and chaos of the shelter, Erin found her vocation and for the first time, considered attending law school.

Rebecca is a lifelong resident of the Northwest, having moved to Seattle from Portland, Oregon as a young girl. Rebecca received her BA from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon majoring in International Studies and French. After completing her undergraduate studies and living abroad in India for several months, Rebecca entered law school at Willamette University College of Law, where she received both a Juris Doctor and a certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Alex was born and raised in Seattle. She is Latina and fluent in both English and Spanish. Alex represents LCYC youth in child welfare and juvenile offender matters. From the fall of 2007 to the spring of 2014, Alex served as a public defender with The Defender Association Division of KCDPD. While at The Defender Association, she provided representation to indigent clients, both adult and youth.

Colleen has a range of experiences supporting children and families such as her work as a residential counselor in a transitional shelter for homeless women in Washington, D.C., and as a staff attorney representing parents and relatives in child welfare proceedings through Legal Services for New York City in the Bronx. Most recently, Colleen served as Senior Ombudsman with the Washington State Office of the Family and Children's Ombudsman.

Chach was born and raised in the East Bay in California. She is Latina and fluent in both English and Spanish. Chach has a unique background as an attorney who also holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University. Chach has held a variety of legal positions in the realms of public service and diversity.

Since the 2016 presidential election, Chach has taken the lead role at LCYC in helping to serve, protect and empower children and families subject to deportation and familial separation due to immigration status.

ROBIN ROMANOVICH (JD), LSPY Supervisor

Before joining our team, Robin Romanovich advocated for youth and families involved in the child welfare system at the Defender Association Division of the King County Department of Public Defense for four years. She spent another four years there advocating for indigent adults in misdemeanor, felony, and involuntary commitment cases. Prior to entering the legal field, Robin taught for over three years in New Mexico and Seattle. She received her B.A. in English from Brown University and her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law. She is a member of QLaw: the LGBT Bar Association of Washington.

For twenty two years, Randall (Randy) Hall worked as a public defender with the Northwest Defenders Division of the King County Department of Public Defense and its predecessor, Northwest Defenders Association. In his career as a public defender, Randy was assigned to represent juveniles and adults accused of misdemeanor and serious felony offenses. During this time period, he has had the privilege of representing clients in over two hundred matters that proceeded through trial. For the last three years of his employment at Northwest Defenders, Randy supervised the dependency and juvenile offender units consisting of seven attorneys and one support staff. Randy has lived in the Seattle area since his graduation from the University of Detroit Law School in 1975, and almost considers himself a native.

Eric's educational and employment background demonstrate a continued commitment to improving the lives of children and families. Before attending law school, Eric was a Special Education Middle School teacher and math curriculum designer in the Bronx for five years. Eric later received his J.D. from CUNY School of Law where he was a founding member of the CUNY chapter of the Suspension Representation Project, fighting against suspensions as a tool to punish children who would be better served by remaining in school. Most recently, Eric worked for the Family Defense Practice of The Bronx Defenders. He represented parents accused of abuse or neglect of their children and counseled them through the complex child welfare system.

Naomi was born and raised in a large interconnected web of family and chosen community in Seattle. She was drawn to law school out of a conviction that everyone should have access to and understanding of the legal system and their rights. Initially, Naomi focused primarily on working with people seeking to navigate the public benefits system, first through a fellowship at the Disabled Homeless Advocacy Project at Seattle Community Law Center, and then as a benefits attorney and outreach advocate at Solid Ground. She is a founding Executive Director of Northwest Community Legal Advocates.

TRINA BLAKE (JD), STAFF ATTORNEY

Before joining LCYC, Trina worked for eleven years at The Defender Association, now a division of the King County Department of Public Defense, including advocating for teens and children in dependency, ARY and CHINS, and adults in involuntary commitment, felony and misdemeanor cases. Taking a break from law, she spent three years promoting clean energy policy, low-income consumer protection and campaigning against climate change with the NW Energy Coalition. Trina recently graduated from the University of Washington with a master's in Marine and Environmental Affairs, interning with NOAA's legal section and the Pacific Northwest National Labs (PNNL). She received a B.A. in Geology from Carleton College and her J.D. from the University of Oregon